TORONTO — CamZ.com has named Steve “Magnus” Gladue managing partner of its CamZCash division. In his new position, Magnus will focus on the company’s pay-site portfolio, marketing and building the affiliate program.Magnus got his start in adult in 1999 “out of chance and necessity, really,” he said.

“I was the general manager of an upscale martini bar, and one of my waitresses had just been featured in Playboy and Mystique magazines,” he revealed. “She was talking about how Mystique was kicking ass and making bank. At the time I was all over the internet, enjoying the anarchy of it all and of course checking out all the adult entertainment. The bar was sold and I was out of a job and thought about going to school for Web design or some online marketing program, but after the Playmate mentioned how she would like a site, I jumped at the chance and we formed a little partnership.

“Like most of us at the start, we were so green and made a ton of stupid mistakes,” he continued. “I hit the boards and read as much stuff as possible, then I connected with a designer based in Toronto who had recently quit her position at one of the larger adult companies. With very little effort and a few TV and radio appearances, money was rolling in right out of the gate —and that’s when I realized there was something to this whole internet thing.”

The bar experience came in handy, as well.

“I know it’s cliche and overused, but I’m a people person,” Magnus said. “I bartended for many years, and being trapped behind the bar you become many things: a comedian, a shrink, a voice of reason and a quick-thinking enforcer. So, you kind of feed off the crowd and whatever the situation brings you, and you learn to read people very quickly. I carried all of that experience over to this business and how I network.

“I like this industry because I can be myself, and that is important in deal making,” he added. “Let’s cut the bullshit and get to the point; then we can shake hands, have a drink and smile about the money we are going to make each other.”

In the years since his introduction to the adult industry, Magnus has worked on a variety of projects for a variety of companies. The online adult sector proved to be a good match for his talents and interests.

“My second venture was an online sex-toy store called Likity Stix that I started with my wife,” he said. “I had a great wholesaler, and we did all the orders and shipping out of our house. We would literally have boxes of sex toys stacked in our living room — [which is] not great when you live in a loft and you have no space to hide them when you have visitors who don’t know about your business. We eventually sold the business when I moved back to Ontario and started with Global Traffic Service [in 2004].”

In between, Magnus said he “did some marketing consulting for a strip club that was starting to do live cam shows in the lower portion of the club. Girls would get off the stage, head downstairs and do cam shows. I also did [public relations] at [trade] shows for Sweet Entertainment and Xtreme Pay, and I had a small stint with SexInc while in Vancouver before starting with GTS.”

When Magnus decided to make the move to CamZ in September, it was because a number of things in his life converged, he said. For one thing, he and CamZ founder Daniel Hogue (aka CamZ Dan) have been friends for several years, and they admire each other’s work ethic and enthusiasm.

“I don’t have to prop Dan up,” Magnus said. “Just ask 100 people in the industry about Camz Dan, and you will get the same reaction: Great guy; extremely passionate about this business and the brand he built as well as the products he brings to consumers and webmasters: CamZ.com, PrivateCamZ.com, CamZFeeds and CamZCash. Camz is in growth mode, and while other companies are planning their exit strategies, we have been hiring and expanding into new verticals and we will continue to do so for some time.”

For another thing, Magnus is a new dad, and Toronto seemed like a wonderful place to raise his five-month-old daughter.

“Since the arrival of my daughter, most of my off time is spent with my two fave girls on the planet,” he confessed. He also occasionally manages to sneak in time for other pursuits too, though: “Aside from family time I’m an obsessive golfer. I go as often as I can get out. During the winter shows I try and sneak a round of golf in.

In addition, “I’m sure it’s no shock to many, but I’m a foodie. I love to cook, and I love fine dining. I have a growing collection of red wine, and I can usually be seen in the ‘vintages’ section of the wine store buying and trying new wines. I also collect Canadian native art.”

Despite outside interests, he continues to devote most of his time to business, he said. He has to, he added, because the environment is changing rapidly and so many interesting possibilities are looming on the horizon.

“With the amount of competition and consolidation going on lately, I can see a greater divide between who is in for the quick money and who is in for the long haul,” he noted. “Although the North American market has been slow moving, I truly believe that mobile will explode and prove to be an extremely profitable business model. Data speeds are increasing, and data rates will drop as consumers crave rich media and live entertainment on their mobile devices.”

So what’s the best advice Magnus has for others who want to see success in the adult industry? Balance, he said — and that’s something that took him a long time to learn.

“Work hard and play harder and find balance in your career and life,” he advised. “Be grateful, and start each day with a plan. We used to brag about how many hours we worked; how we would stay up and pull continual all-nighters like it was a badge of honor. Yeah, you may still need to do that in any business, but don’t let business control your life. You don’t want to wake up one day and realize you missed living.”

Magnus may be reached by email at magnus@CamZcash.com.